INTRO
DUCTION
Scandinavian culture has interested me ever since I first visited
Iceland around eight years ago. There’s something refreshing
about the stripped back, simple and functional way that
Nordic people live, alongside their elegant and modern design
aesthetic.
Although it is not ‘new’ in fashion, the Scandinavian aesthetic of
warm grey wools and crisp white basics has recently become
hugely popular in the UK (see fig. 1). Swedish fashion houses
COS, Acne Studios and Monki have become go-to brands for
many of us, and wrapping up warm has never been more on
trend.
As well as affecting how we dress, Scandinavian design is
present in many other aspects of our lives. We are hooked on
the artful cinematography of the eerie ‘Nordic noir’ television
thrillers ever since The Killing was released in 2011, and now
seem to own more IKEA furniture than ever before.
I’d like to explore why Scandinavian design has become so
popular, and how the modern ideals of Nordic culture might fit
into our postmodern society.

7

MODERN
NORDIC
IDEALS
Modern design is said to have an “emphasis on
materials, techniques and processes” (TATE 2016:
online) and is “associated with a belief in progress”
(TATE 2016: online). With this in mind, one of the
key characteristics of Scandinavian design is that,
generally speaking, innovation and function take
priority over form.
Fig. 2 & 3 are images from a recent 66 North
advertising campaign; a well established Icelandic
brand that provide everyday outdoor clothing
designed to deal with harsh weather conditions.

a safety feature, allowing the wearer to be
seen in dark and dangerous conditions.
66 North’s innovative use of materials and
processes, along with their strapline of
“Keeping Iceland warm since 1926” (66
NORTH 2016: online) reinforces the fact
that Scandinavian clothes are designed to
keep people comfortable more than they
are to look fashionable; a classic example
of ‘function over form’ and a key principle of
modernism.
It would be narrow minded to assume the
ideals of one brand are shared with the
whole of Scandinavia, however Nordic street
style only reinforces the suggestion that
modernism exists in Scandinavian culture.
The block colours and geometric patterns
in fig. 4 along with the mechanical, chain
inspired jewellery all hint towards a machine
oriented, futuristic and modern culture.
It seems ironic then that, in our postmodern
society, Scandinavian fashion is becoming
so popular when surely its ideals are the
complete opposite of ours.

13

Fig. 5
NORSBORG collection from IKEA (2016)
by IKEA 2016: online

14

THE
APPEAL
OF
SCANDI
N AV I A
So why is it that Scandinavian culture is
so appealing to us? There are, I believe, a
number of answers to this question.
As a society, we seem to love efficient,
affordable

Fig. 6
The plans for a Swedish flat-pack house (2016) by Scandinavian Homes in
Scandinavian Homes 2016: online

The Swedish company provides us

everything into the car to take it home

with thousands of products clearly

the same day. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t matter that

laid out in a single store. Model

we have to actually construct the

rooms are displayed so we do not

products ourselves, because IKEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

even have to imagine how products

combination of quality, affordability

would look in our homes. Everything

and efficiency is unbeatable.

is sold flat-packed, allowing us to
physically buy more and also fit

16

CEO

of

IKEA,

Mikael

Ohlsson

producible,

cutting

edge,

‘one

says “We hate waste” (OHLSSON,

size fits all’ approach to housing

M., in WILSON, J. 2011: online),

described to be the “most efficient

suggesting that the company is

[building]

constantly trying to progress and

K. in MCGOWAN, E. 2012: online)

improve. Despite the fact that we are

ever. This reinforces the theory that

living in a postmodern society, one

Nordic design is so popular so due

theory is that we find Scandinavian

its efficiency.

process”

(MCCLOUD,

culture so appealing because of its
efficient nature.
This concept can be supported
by

the

growing

popularity

of

Swedish ‘flat-pack’ homes in the
UK (MCGOWAN, E. 2012: online). A
house can be delivered in sections
and then constructed as if it were
flat-pack furniture (fig 6).
The flat-pack home really is the
ultimate modern luxury; a mass

17

Fig. 7
A poster for The Bridge,
Swedish ‘Nordic Noir’
television series (2011) by
Sveriges Television in IMDB
2011: online

countries on their overall happiness. The
happiest five countries were as follows:
1 Denmark
2 Norway
3 Switzerland
4 Netherlands
5 Sweden
(SACHS, J. 2012: online)
Interestingly, four of the five countries are
Scandinavian. In a society obsessed with
success and unrealistic expectations of
beauty, a significant reason we might find
Scandinavian culture so appealing is simply
because we would like to be happier.

22

23

SCANDI
N AV I A
IN OUR
SOCIETY
In contrast to Scandinaviaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern values,
we in Britain are generally thought to be
living in a postmodern society. It therefore
interests me that we are adopting Nordic
culture in the UK, as surely the two cultures
couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be further apart.

however the whole outfit is sheer; on a cold
day in Norway, these clothes would barely
keep the wearer warm. In Britain, however,
wearing this outfit would be appropriate.

Scandinavian clothing. Instead, we have

Similarly, the shirt-dress in fig. 12 looks

merged the Nordic aesthetic with London’s

clean and modern due to the geometric lines,

classic street style, creating a style that’s

pure white colour and the smooth curves of

often referred to as ‘Scandinavian chic’ or

its silhouette. However, it has definitely not

‘Scandi chic’; a pastiche of Nordic design

been designed with Copenhagen in mind, as

(fig. 10).

trying to cycle in this long, tailed shirt would

In support of this, fig. 11 & 12 show clothing
currently being sold by ASOS White; a UK
based brand providing “Scandi chic” (ASOS
2016: online) clothing with “premium vibes”
(ASOS 2016: online). Both outfits show clear
elements of both British and Scandinavian
design.
The boxy, oversized silhouette of the top in
fig. 11 and the geometric, blocky print show

30

be impossible, supporting the idea that
Scandi chic clothing is a pastiche of actual
Scandinavian clothing.

Fig. 13
A Scandinavia inspired coat that I designed and made (2015)
by Gwen Harris, my own work.

31

Fig. 14
My ‘White Project’ garments
that have a Scandinavian
influence (2016) by

32

Gwen Harris, my own work.

I would say my own work embodies Scandi
chic values in that it is often inspired by
Scandinavian aesthetic, but is more suited
for casual wear in the UK.
I used a grey wool felt for the coat in fig.
13. It has a simple, geometric silhouette and
I have styled it with neutral complimenting
tones, giving a Scandinavian feel. However,
I set the photos in an urban environment,
and styled the outfit with trainers to give
a sense of British street culture. Similarly,
in fig. 14, the boxy separates and the use
of pure white give a minimal Scandinavian
vibe; however I did not design these clothes
to be particularly practical.

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During postmodernism’s most prominent

abundance of accessories; and also the use

era, it has been said that “everything was a

of an 11 year old male model to represent a

style statement” (V&A 2016: online). With this

womenswear collection.

in mind, it is possible that we might just be
wearing modern Scandinavian clothing as
a fashion statement. This would be terribly
ironic considering modernity was shunned
for suppressing individual identity.

CEO of Acne says the model ”encompasses
the no-fear, no-limits, and no-boundaries
outlook on fashion” (JOHANSSON, J. in
MUKHAMETZYANOVA, M. 2015: online).
The idea of no boundaries or limits is a very

Personally, I like to think that our society is

postmodern

beginning to balance the ideas of modernism

by definition was a reaction against the

and postmodernism, in that we enjoy the

boundaries

freedom and excitement of a world that

the

encourages individual identity, but we also

mass

want aspects of modernism in these chaotic

sell comes packaged in the same plain,

times.

pink box; suggesting as a brand they

A brand that embodies this idea perfectly is
Acne Studios. Fig. 15 shows an advert from
their AW15 campaign. The chunky, simple
design of the coat and the block colour
are ‘modern’ features. The model wears
sunglasses, creating a lack of identity.
However, there are also ‘postmodern’ design
elements such as the decorative stitching
detail, the use of unconventional fabric an

design because we are seeking to simplify our
postmodern culture, or whether it is just another
short term trend; it is an aesthetic that I love and
will continue to use in my work.

I personally believe that the most captivating
aspect of Scandinavian culture is how it has
escaped the need to constantly change. Nordic
countries have found something that works for
them and they thrive off it.

So, as I prepare to return to Iceland for a two
week adventure this Summer, I am excited to see
what new inspiration I can find in their incredible,
ethereal country.